Tips from my CFII checkride last Friday

aghoras said:
BTW: I don't think its possible to use a GPS as a primary heading indicator especially if you are trying to use it to keep the wings level: it lags too much.
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Try it . It works better than you'd expect it to..and I would prefer it over the compass if I was left with nothing but the two. If it were even slightly turbulent the compass would be worthless.

Of course this does depend on the GPS. 396 is doable, 496 is way better.
 
jesse said:
Try it . It works better than you'd expect it to..and I would prefer it over the compass if I was left with nothing but the two. If it were even slightly turbulent the compass would be worthless.

Of course this does depend on the GPS. 396 is doable, 496 is way better.
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I'll second that -- tried using the 496 "rescue panel" for a test --

It was amazing how sensitive the 496 panel was.

I agree that using that function when Partial Panel would beat a whiskey compass.
 
Ron Levy said:
That's track, not heading (and a CFI-IA shouldn't be confusing them), but it's close enough for HI/DG-out purposes.
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When I teach VOR tracking, I sometimes put the 430 on the Position Page or the "compass screen" as one called it. They try to cheat in some form and use that until I start talking about tracking versus heading. "Which direction are you flying?" "Well, which direction are you pointed?" "Do we have a crab angle during this leg?"

It comes together after a bit with the right prompting. You can show it with a model airplane and/or a white board, having them take in only so much. Some need the real thing and it's those times when I wish crab angles were much greater so they could see a more representative example.
 
KennyFlys said:
When I teach VOR tracking, I sometimes put the 430 on the Position Page or the "compass screen" as one called it. They try to cheat in some form and use that until I start talking about tracking versus heading. "Which direction are you flying?" "Well, which direction are you pointed?" "Do we have a crab angle during this leg?"

It comes together after a bit with the right prompting. You can show it with a model airplane and/or a white board, having them take in only so much. Some need the real thing and it's those times when I wish crab angles were much greater so they could see a more representative example.
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The track indication from the 430 would actually be very helpful in 'cheating' to track the vor. It would pretty much eliminate the manual hunt for the wind-corrected heading towards the VOR.
 
jesse said:
The track indication from the 430 would actually be very helpful in 'cheating' to track the vor. It would pretty much eliminate the manual hunt for the wind-corrected heading towards the VOR.
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Are you referring to the magenta line on the moving Map Page or the Position Page?
 
Ron Levy said:
That's track, not heading (and a CFI-IA shouldn't be confusing them), but it's close enough for HI/DG-out purposes.
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I should have written "as a heading indicator."

I surely know the difference between track and heading, or I'd be sitting 8 degrees east of where I should be right now (which might not be too bad).
 
dmccormack said:
I should have written "as a heading indicator."

I surely know the difference between track and heading, or I'd be sitting 8 degrees east of where I should be right now (which might not be too bad).
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What's her name? :D
 
dmccormack said:
I should have written "as a heading indicator."
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I'll still disagree -- a heading indicator indicates heading, not track. The track readout on a GPS indicates track, not heading, unless the wind drift is zero, and even then, that's coincidence, not definition.
I surely know the difference between track and heading, or I'd be sitting 8 degrees east of where I should be right now (which might not be too bad).
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Is the wind drift where you live always 8 degrees regardless of direction of flight? That's amazing!
 
KennyFlys said:
Are you referring to the magenta line on the moving Map Page or the Position Page?
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The magenta line depicts desired track (DTK, aka "intended course line"), not actual track (TRK, your actual path over the ground). The only easy ways I know offhand to read actual track (TRK) on the 430 are to look under TRK on the Nav 1 page, or have it displayed (optional) on the Nav 2 page.
 
Ron Levy said:
I'll still disagree -- a heading indicator indicates heading, not track. The track readout on a GPS indicates track, not heading, unless the wind drift is zero, and even then, that's coincidence, not definition.
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The original context was GPS as a superior backup to the magnetic compass in a partial panel situation.

The Garmin 430 and the handheld 396/496 series have different displays/functions.

The Garmin 396 and 496 include a Panel mode, which replicates the standard 6 pack --including a Heading Indicator, and a TC, ASI, Alt, VSI. The Desired Track and Actual Track are displayed on the Heading Indicator.

The sensitivity of this panel is such that it could be used as a emergency after vacuum or other instrument failure. I agreed with Jesse that this function is superior to a magnetic compass as backup, and would rely on it given my experience practicing with it.


Ron Levy said:
Is the wind drift where you live always 8 degrees regardless of direction of flight? That's amazing!
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Nope, only during last night's flight.
 
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